NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 21, 2026
Last updated: Mar 20, 2026, 10:58PM | Published: Mar 20, 2026, 8:41AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 10:40am AEDT on March 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate includes these match-ups:
- Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets vs Toronto Raptors
- Detroit Pistons vs Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trail Blazers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
With the best NBA fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NBA fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,540 | 63.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU, SF/PF) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Donovan Clingan (POR, C) | $14,630 | 33.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Ronald Holland (DET, SF/PF) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks offer the most "bang for your buck," meaning they're expected to perform well relative to their salary.
Conversely, a "fade" is a player considered to offer lower value for money, based on their expected score relative to their salary. For budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options refer to the best value players at lower price points not already mentioned.
In fantasy sports, understanding value—assessing a player's potential output against their salary—is crucial, as players scoring high relative to their cost are key in crafting the optimal line-up.
The "Pts/$1K" metric shows the predicted points for every $1,000 of a player's salary. A higher number indicates better value, making it easier to spot players who could outperform their cost.
Positional Breakdown
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deni Avdija (POR) | $17,200 | 50.8 | 3 |
| Value | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $15,420 | 50.1 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Ty Jerome (MEM) | $12,920 | 29.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Reed Sheppard (HOU) | $8,990 | 28.4 | 3.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Ty Jerome (MEM) | $12,920 | 29.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Baylor Scheierman (BOS) | $6,320 | 19.3 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $11,700 | 26.7 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Ronald Holland (DET) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $21,410 | 57 | 2.7 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Tobias Harris (DET) | $11,230 | 27 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Ronald Holland (DET) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,540 | 63.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Neemias Queta (BOS) | $10,390 | 34.2 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Donovan Clingan (POR) | $14,630 | 33.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Robert Williams (POR) | $7,950 | 25.4 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Tari Eason. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Ronald Holland.
On the other hand, according to our model, Donovan Clingan is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 10:40am AEDT on Saturday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NBA DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NBA fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NBA Saturday slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Saturday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
Please note that if you use our DFS tips for betting purposes, ensure you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
